In a Sunday afternoon game, the Mizzou men’s basketball team extended its winning streak with an 82-72 victory against Wichita State at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers, in front of 10,885 fans, never trailed in the game. With this win, Missouri’s record improves to 7-2, while the Shockers fall to 7-2.
Four Tigers achieved double-digit scoring to secure the victory. Graduate student Sean East II led Mizzou with 22 points and nine assists, marking his highest point total in the Mizzou Black & Gold and his fifth 20-point game of the season. His nine assists equaled his career high, first achieved at UMass in 2019. Teammates Nick Honor and Connor Vanover contributed 15 and 11 points, respectively, while graduate student Caleb Grill achieved his second career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against the Shockers.
Missouri took control early in the game, scoring the first 10 points before Wichita State recorded a basket four minutes into the competition. The Tigers exhibited strong defense, forcing six turnovers in the first eight possessions and eight overall in the first 10 minutes of play. Mizzou capitalized on the offensive end, scoring 16 first-half points off turnovers and 20 over the course of the game.
Despite Wichita State attempting to narrow the gap three times in the second half, Mizzou responded each time with a timely three-pointer – one each by Vanover, Grill, and East. The game ended with the Tigers leading 71-68.
In the winning effort, Missouri shot 40.0 percent from the field, with an 11-of-33 clip (33.3 percent) from 3-point range. The Tigers held the Shockers to 38.2 percent shooting from the field and 28.6 percent from the 3-point line.
Looking ahead, the Tigers will travel to Lawrence, Kan., for a matchup against the Kansas Jayhawks on Saturday night in the Hy-Vee Hoops Border Showdown. The game is scheduled to tip off at 4:15 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.
